Bachelor's Programme in Psychology with an Emphasis on Behavior Analysis Programme description

The bachelor’s program in psychology with an emphasis on behavior analysis is a 3-year full time program (180 ECTS). A completed program earns the degree of Bachelor in Psychology with an Emphasis on Behavior Analysis.

The program is regulated by lov om universiteter og høgskoler av 1. april 2005 nr. 15 § 3-2 og § 3-3 (Law of universities and university colleges) ;and forskrift om studier og eksamen ved OsloMet- storbyuniversitetet av 01.08.12 (Regulations for studies and exams at OsloMet). There is no national framework for this program.

The program is accredited by The Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI), the international organization for research and application of behavior analysis.

The program also meets the requirements for pre-qualification in certification by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BCBA®) as Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analysts (BCaBAs).

The overall objective of the program is to teach basic competence in psychology and behavior analysis in order to conduct functional analyses of behavior – the student’s own, and others’ – and to arrange appropriate reinforcement contingencies for promoting and maintaining desired behavior change.

Students must learn a precise conceptual framework, read relevant research literature, and actively participate in discussions in the behavior analytic community to achieve these competencies. Through these activities, students will also acquire robust knowledge about ethical and professional standards in the field.

The Department of Behavioral Science has a strong scientific community within a natural scientific tradition, and an evidence-based approach to learning. Faculty members are part of well-developed professional scientific networks, nationally and internationally, and cooperate extensively on research. Graduates from the bachelor’s program may continue with master’s and Ph. D. studies in the department.

Relevance to further studies

A bachelor’s degree Bachelor in Psychology with an Emphasis on Behavior Analysis is an excellent starting point for further studies, such as master’s programs in psychology or behavior analysis*. The Bachelor’s program in; in Psychology with an Emphasis on Behavior Analysis is adapted to the EUROPSY standards of the ;European Federation of Psychologist’s Association https://www.europsy.eu/

*When graduates apply for further studies, the institution they apply to sets the bar for admission.

The final semester is dedicated to a bachelor’s thesis, based on data collected by the student. The thesis conforms to APA style for manuscript preparation, and to the IMRAD structure for empirical papers.

Psychology and behavior analysis are god combinations with a number of other disciplines, such as pedagogics, health sciences, economics, management and HR, and other social sciences.

Relevance to working life

Graduates of the program have knowledge, skills and general competencies in psychology and behavior analysis. They can work with organizing, planning and implementation in processes of change within knowledge-based organizations in public sector and private enterprise, independently or with others. They can work with change processes at the level of the individual, or with group- and organization-level processes.

In work areas where prevention, treatment and teaching are important issues, documenting the efforts one makes is increasingly important. Methods in such work must be grounded in well-established theory, and predicting the effect of interventions is important both at the level of the individual and for society. The program will be useful for those who wish to affect processes of change. There is increasing demand for knowledge about learning and psychology both in public and private organizations.

The bachelor’s program has two practicum placements of 9 weeks each, to give students the opportunity for working on their own and with others on change processes in general, and specifically in treatment and training. The program complies with the requirement from Norway’s Health Directorate of 30 ECTS of supervised practicum, and candidates qualify for milieu therapists’ positions.

The target group for the programme is people who wish to work with health promoting measures and people who are or could suffer from illness or failing health. As a nurse, you will also meet people in the final stages of life.

The admission requirements are, in accordance with the Regulations concerning Admission to Higher Education, the Higher Education Entrance Qualification or prior learning and work experience (must be over 25 years of age and not have general study competence. A minimum of 5 years of full-time professional experience in the health, care or social sector or equivalent must be documented. In practice, one must have worked with patients or clients).

Students must submit a transcript of police records at the start of the programme.

The use of clothing that covers the face is incompatible with taking the programme's theoretical and practical training courses. During the programme's periods of clinical training, the students must always comply with the clothing regulations in force at the institution where their practical training is taking place.

After completing the bachelor's programme in nursing, the student is expected to have achieved the following overall learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The candidate

• has knowledge of the history of nursing, its academic basis, scientific traditions, singularity and role in society nationally and internationally
• has broad knowledge of key concepts, theories and models in nursing, disease processes and legislation relevant to the nursing discipline
• has broad knowledge of aspects of nursing relating to health promotion, prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and alleviation
• has broad knowledge of communication and building relations and is able to communicate professionally with different individuals and based on the circumstances in each situation
• has knowledge of the health service as a system, of the organisation of services at different levels and of planning, management and coordination in relation to individual patients and groups
• has knowledge of global health challenges, cultural diversity and social inequality, which is of relevance to professional practice nationally and internationally

Skills

The candidate is capable of

• identifying and analysing professional and ethical questions at the social, group and individual levels in a reflected and critical manner
• critically evaluating and integrating information from different knowledge sources, and making clinical decisions based on evidence-based assessments and priorities
• practising responsible nursing and person centered care adapted to the individual’s needs and ensuring the patient’s co-determination in choices that concern health and treatment
• acquiring new knowledge, giving and receiving supervisions, adjusting own professional practice, taking a critical approach to academic texts from different sources and using sources correctly
• working independently and contributing to interprofessional and intersectoral cooperation to ensure a holistic course of treatment

General competence

The candidate

• has insight into the principles of prioritisation in the health services and can meet society’s requirements for responsible and caring nursing in a lifetime perspective, contributing to patient safety, quality and trust in the health services
• is capable of planning and providing peron centred supervision, counselling and teaching to patients, next-of-kin and health personnel
• has insight into service development, innovation and creativity, and how technology can influence how services are provided
• is capable of reflecting on own professional development and discussing professional aspects of nursing with colleagues
• is capable of planning and carrying out projects in cooperation with others, contributing in a constructive manner in groups and disseminating subject matter via different forms of expression

The programme has a comprehensive profile where academic content, pedagogical activities and practical studies are interconnected. The connection between the learning outcome descriptions, learning activities and forms of assessment are particularly emphasised. Work and teaching methods and the fields of study covered in the programme are organised in a way that promotes both theoretical understanding and practical action competence. The courses build on each other to ensure progress with increasing requirements for knowledge and understanding of the profession. Through critical reflection, ethical competence and professional judgement are gradually developed.

For all nursing programmes, four recurring topics are defined: ethics, patient safety, communication and cooperation and management. The topics are integrated into different courses and described with separate learning outcomes to ensure coherency, connection and progression between courses and academic years. Diversity and big-city health are also emphasised as key perspectives in all three years of the programme.

Each academic year comprises 60 credits, and the expected workload is normally 40 hours per week. This applies both for theoretical courses and during practical training. All the courses conclude with a final assessment.

Learning in groups is particularly emphasised in the study programme. The most important elements to ensure good group processes are safety, well-being, and a sense of belonging. We therefore want all students to feel a sense of belonging to their class throughout the programme. This class will be divided into smaller groups that comprise study groups.

First year of the programme

During the first year, students will receive a basic introduction to nursing as a discipline, profession, and science. Natural science courses make up an important part of the first year of study. This will provide a good basis for studying nursing observation and assessment. Diversity and the lifetime perspective are also recurring topics. The students will receive in-depth knowledge of the human being’s fundamental needs and resources.

The academic year starts with an introductory period where the students get to know their rights and duties. Study groups are established as a work method and expectations of the students' own and other people’s efforts are clarified. Through practical training in the spring semester, the students gain experience of how needs and resources change because of ageing and disease. A central topic in the spring semester is related to illness, health failure, and pharmacology, which gives you good theoretical preparation for the second year of study.

Second year of the programme

The second year of the programme focuses particularly on nursing of people with acute and critical diseases of different ages. Students will also meet patients with progressive and chronic diseases. In addition to theory, students take two long practical training periods where they study nursing of patients and next-of-kin in authentic patient situations in the health services, which can be in either specialist healthcare services or municipal healthcare services. You will be covering both medical and surgical nursing. You will be covering both medical and surgical nursing. In the spring semester, students will also gain insight into health and social perspectives, management, and organisation, in addition to health promoting and preventive health work, that prepares you for the 3rd year of study.

The spring semester is specially adapted for internationalisation at home, as some of the courses are taught in English. In this semester, we also welcome inbound exchange students.

Third year of the programme

In the third year of the programme, the students will study nursing of people with complex health challenges. A significant part of the programme takes place in the practical training field, mainly in different arenas of the municipal health service. The practical training field consists of patients and next-of-kin with different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. The courses look at mental health issues and complex health conditions. Management, professional development and interdisciplinary and intersectoral cooperation are key aspects. The bachelor’s thesis is an academic in-depth assignment to be written in the last semester.

Interdisciplinary teaching programmes taught jointly with other programmes at OsloMet 

INTERACT (Interprofessional Interaction with Children and Youths - INTER1100, INTER1200 and INTER1300) is an interdisciplinary teaching programme at OsloMet, where students from both the health and social care subjects and the teacher/kindergarten teacher education programmes meet in interdisciplinary groups. The aim is to ensure that the students acquire the skills needed to meet society’s demands for a better coordination of services that affect children and young people. The teaching activity builds on pedagogical principles of interactivity and spiral learning, with extensive use of digital learning and assessment tools to improve the learning outcomes. The teaching (INTER1100, INTER1200 and INTER1300) is carried out in the first teaching week each spring semester for students in the first, second and third study year.

See https://www.oslomet.no/forskning/forskningsprosjekter/interact for a more detailed description of INTERACT.

Student BEST (Better and systematic team training - SYKK3000/SYKP3000) is a teaching programme in simulation with a focus on interprofessional interaction in acute situations. The aim is better and systematic team training and involves several other professional training courses. Simulation in teams is used as a training method in receiving and stabilising trauma. The focus is communication and interaction in an interprofessional group. The teaching program is carried out during the third year of study.

Requirements for participation in interdisciplinary teaching programmes

There is a requirement for participation in the interprofessional teaching programs INTERACT (INTER1100, INTER1200, and INTER1300) and Student BEST (SYKK3000/SYKP3000), which must be approved to be awarded a diploma.

Progression requirements in the study

Progression requirements are highlighted under prior knowledge requirements in the individual courses.

OsloMet focuses on having a good and developing learning environment that students can thrive in. The work and teaching methods have been developed on the basis of a socio-cultural view of learning, where the overriding principle is to make use of your own thoughts, knowledge and experience. The student's own efforts, individually, or together with others, are decisive for good learning outcomes. Students are expected to prepare ahead of organised teaching activities. Varied work methods are used both in theoretical subjects and in practical training and these can be carried out physically on campuses or on digital platforms. In some contexts, teaching activities only take place on one campus, and students must expect to travel to the relevant location.

The programme also prepares students for the labour market’s requirement of lifelong learning. Students are therefore expected to take ownership of their own learning process throughout the study programme, and will learn to both ‘become a nurse’ and ‘learn how to learn’. Students are also expected to contribute to creating a good learning environment for their fellow students through active participation in the different teaching activities.

Self-study and student cooperation

The attainment of the learning outcomes requires a high degree of self-study. Self-study entails both individual work and cooperation with fellow students, and it entails awareness of how you best learn. Students are recommended to take the initiative to form study groups.

Group work

Group work means working with other students. In the groups, students will discuss each other’s contributions and share knowledge and perspectives. They will gain experience of cooperation and of assessing, developing and disseminating relevant literature. The students will give and receive feedback from others.

Digital learning resources

Digital learning resources are for instance instance OsloMetX https://www.oslomet.no/ub/oslometx, or video clips, podcasts, games, academic texts, articles and interactive assignments used as part of the learning methods. Digital co-writing tools are used in some courses for the purpose of sharing knowledge and producing texts together. Digital self-corrected tests (quizzes) provide an opportunity for the students to practice and test their knowledge of the course content. Students receive an immediate response, which can serve as a basis for their continued learning.

Simulation and skills training (SF-unit)

Simulation and skills training gives the students the opportunity to learn everything from simple practical skills to making assessments in complex patient situations. Simulation and skills training will be a recurring part of the study programme and often taken place in simulation and skills training units (SF-unit) on campus. Reflection before, during and after actions will be emphasised. Some simulations may be filmed. Videos will always be deleted directly after the teaching session unless consent has been given to keep the videos.

Skills training in the programme will not be divided by gender.

Lectures

Lectures are used either to gain an overview of the course’s content or to delve into a specific topic. Lectures are used particularly when introducing new subject matter.

The flipped classroom

The flipped classroom is when the roles of lecturer and students are reversed, and students work with digital learning resources before attending class. Students work on problem-solving activities during teaching sessions, often in the form of group work or seminars.

Seminar/workshop

Students practice formulating an argument, expressing own opinions and reflecting on own attitudes and actions, in addition to presenting and discussing subject matter and assessing other people’s academic presentations.

Project work

Students study a topic relevant to the programme in depth, and develop skills in the systematic use of methods, including theoretical basis, data collection, analysis, discussion, written formulation and verbal communication.

Interprofessional cooperative learning (TPS)

Interprofessional cooperative learning comprises all ways of working where students participate in

teaching sessions with students from other programmes, or carry out educational activities in a practical training establishment that entail cooperation with professionals from other fields. Interprofessional cooperative learning can be arranged at the university, in the practical training establishment and through digital cooperation (webinars) with students in other countries.

Student BEST – Better and systematic team training

Student BEST is a teaching programme under a cooperation between the nursing-, radiography-, biomedical laboratory sciences and paramedic science programme at OsloMet and the medicine programme at the University of Oslo. The learning programme builds on simulation in teams and is used as a training method in the admission and stabilising of trauma patients. The main focus is communication and cooperation in interprofessional groups. The teaching takes place at the SF-units at OsloMet.

Students are encouraged to take parts of the program at one of our collaboration institutions abroad. Exchange periods provide scientific benefits, and add value to a professional repertoire in a multicultural society. A globalized labor market also increases the importance of international experience, language and cultural knowledge.

Parts of the courses may be conducted in English; confer specific course descriptions. The course PSYK1070 Technology and Society and PSYK1700 Cognitive psychology and neuroscience, both 10 ECTS, are conducted wholly in English.

The structure of the program is adapted for student exchange both nationally and internationally. This applies to the whole program, but especially semesters 5 and 6. Semester 5 consists of courses from the main area Topics in psychology. Numerous institutions of higher education abroad have bachelor programs in psychology, and it is easy to find courses for exchange students. Semester 6, reserved for practicum placement and thesis work, is also suited for exchange studies.

For incoming exchange students, semester 6 can be adapted in order to offer courses of 30 ECTS, by taking PSYK3910, which can be done in the lab groups, where English is the working language.

Please go to https://student.oslomet.no/utveksling-psykologi-atferdsanalyse for an overview of universities and university colleges that OsloMet have exchange agreements with.

Work requirements are all forms of tasks, testing, and compulsory attendance that must be completed for the students to sit for exams. Work requirements are graded Pass/Fail. Work requirements are described for each course. They are individual work, unless otherwise indicated.

The objective of work requirements is to promote progress in studies and academic development, to encourage the student to acquire new knowledge, and document learning outcomes.

The work requirements of the program are compulsory attendance, oral presentations, and written assignments.

Work requirements are assessed and approved by the course instructor. When students cannot present completed work requirements, the course instructor and the program director decide how the requirement may be compensated for. ;

Compulsory attendance and oral presentations

Attendance is compulsory in topics where the student cannot acquire knowledge and skills solely through readings. This makes attendance compulsory for some lectures, laboratory/practical excercises; scheduled group work, seminars and presentations of various types of work. Students are responsible for their own attendance. If students miss group presentations, they must do an individual presentation for the course instructor.

If a student is absent beyond the attendance requirements in the course descriptions, the course instructor determines whether alternative assignments can compensate, such as individual written work. If the absence cannot be compensated for, the student must attend the course the next time it is given. The option of compensating by substitute activity depends on the extent of the absence, and on which activities the student has missed.

Written assignments

Several courses have compulsory written assignments as work requirements, such as reaction papers and article summaries, description of learning outcomes for practicum placements, and project outline for the bachelor’s thesis. ;

Work requirements that are not approved can be reworked for improvement and submitted again. Resubmission can be done twice. If the third submission (second resubmission) is not approved, the student must retake the course.

Exams are regulated by lov om universiteter og høgskoler (the Law of Universities and University Colleges), forskrift om studier og eksamen ved OsloMet - storbyuniversitetet (regulations for exams at OsloMet) and supplementary guidelines for exams.

The program emphasizes frequent knowledge assessment. Students are given feedback on whether their performance is in line with their own ambitions, and can thus adjust their efforts to achieve their goals. This also allows the program instructors to provide specific guidance to the students, conduct evaluations, and improve teaching routines. Each course ends with a final exam for that topic.

Forms of exams vary, and grades are on a scale of A – F for the courses, with the exception of PSYKPRA10 and PSYKPRA2 which are graded Pass/Fail.

Portolio exams are used for five courses. The portfolios contain tests taken during the courses. Tests are taken under exam conditions (with vigilance) and are considered part of an examination. Test results are communicated to students as soon as they are available.

Assessment types and criteria are described for each course. In addition, the table below contains an overview of the different exams, assessment types and expression. New or delayed exams are conducted in the same way as ordinary exams, unless otherwise stated in the course description.

All courses taken will appear on the diploma, together with the title of the thesis. External program supervisors are used according to the guidelines for appointing and employing examiners at OsloMet.

Assessment of practicum placements

Practicum placements are attendance required. They are graded Pass/Fail\

If there is doubt that the student will get a Pass grade, at the middle of the practicum period, and no later than 3 weeks before the end of this period, the student must receive a written description of what is insufficiently mastered, and of which demands they must meet in order to get a Pass. If the student at the end of the practicum period shows conduct that clearly does not allow for a Pass, the student may get a Fail, even without having received a written message of doubt.

Concluding assessment of practical training

For each practicum period, a final assessment based on learning outcomes for the period is made, comprising evaluation throughout the period. The result of the assessment and the description of the basis for evaluation is signed by student and practicum supervisor.

For each practicum period to be graded Pass, the student must have a minimum of 90 % planned attendance. Absences up to 20 % can be made up by agreement with OsloMet and the placement. If absence exceeds 20 %, the practicum must be re-taken. This will cause delay in program completion.

If the student is absent in excess of the permissible number of days because of illness, a doctor’s certificate covering the days of absence is required. This is deemed justifiable absence, and does not count towards the number of attempts the student has at getting a Pass grade.

If the student is absent for more than 20 % of the period without a valid reason, the course is recorded as fail, and the student has used up 1 (one) attempt. If the students get the grade Fail in a practicum period 2 (two) times, the student must as a rule leave the program, cf. forskrift om studier og eksamen ved OsloMet – storbyuniversitetet (Regulations for exams at OsloMet).

The student is responsible for attending the practicum placement for the required time.

The study programme is based on the national regulations relating to a common curriculum for health and social care education adopted by the Ministry of Education and Research on 6 September 2017, and the regulations relating to the national guidelines for nursing education adopted on 15 March 2019, with amendments of 1 December 2019. Nursing education in Norway is also subject to an EU directive. The directive concerns provisions regarding approval of academic qualifications for regulated professions in the EU and EEA. The study programme is in accordance with Directive 2005/36/EC on approvals of professional qualifications, with later amendments including Directive 2013/55/EU.

Approved by the Academic Affairs Committee at the Faculty of Health Sciences, 21 November 2019

Last adjusted by the Academic Affairs Committee at the Faculty of Health Sciences 6 December 2023

and by the Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences 17 December 2024

Faculty of Health Sciences

Department of Nursing and Health Promotion

Year 2025